Monday, April 13, 2009

Jazz Recommendation: Candy Dulfer.



Staying with the saxophone which is my favorite musical instrument, I move on to recommending a saxophonist of rare talent. When we think of jazz musicians we normally associate them with the male gender and it is equally rare to find a female saxophonist with talent and allot of accomplishments.

Candy's web site: "Candy Dulfer"

Candy Dulfer is just that kind of rare talent, gifted, beautiful, talented and an extraordinary saxophonist. She has had allot of time refining her talent, first started when she was in her teens. She will surely seduce you with her musical skill. She plays the alto saxophone. My favorite from her must be "Lily was here" and I attached a video of the same:




and, "Pick Up The Pieces":



More details on this talented musician extracted from wikipedia:

Candy Dulfer (born 19 September 1969) is a Dutch smooth jazz alto saxophonist. She started to play saxophone at the age of six. She has had her own band, Funky Stuff, since she was fourteen. Her debut album Saxuality (1990) received a Grammy Award nomination. Over the years she released nine studio albums, two live albums, and one compilation album. She has performed and recorded songs with several other musicians, such as her father Hans Dulfer, Prince, Dave Stewart, René Froger, Van Morrison, and Maceo Parker. For the Dutch television series Candy meets... (2007), she interviewed musicians she worked with.

Musical career:
Candy Dulfer played her first solo on stage with her father's band De Perikels (English translation: "The Perils"). At the age of eleven, she made her first recordings for the album I Didn't Ask (1981) of De Perikels. In 1982, when she was twelve years old, she played as a member of Rosa King's Ladies Horn section at the North Sea Jazz Festival. According to Dulfer, King encouraged her to become a band leader herself. In 1984, at the age of fourteen, Dulfer started her own band Funky Stuff. In 1987, the band performed as opening act at two concerts of Madonna's European tour. In 1988, the band's lineup was completely changed. In the following years, Funky Stuff gave sold-out concerts all over the Netherlands.

In 1988, Funky Stuff was booked as the supporting act for three Prince concerts in the Netherlands. Prince canceled the supporting act, but invited Dulfer on stage to play an improvised solo. After this encounter, she starred in the video of the single "Partyman" (1989), where Prince sings:

When I need trombone, my dog is Handy.
But when I want sax, I call Candy.

This appearance led to session work with Eurythmics guitarist and producer Dave Stewart, who gave Dulfer a credit on "Lily Was Here" (the title song of a Dutch movie starring Marion van Thijn), reaching number six in the UK singles chart and number one in the Dutch radio charts in 1990. She also played with Pink Floyd at the band's performance at Knebworth '90 in June 1990.

Candy Dulfer in 2006 Dulfer's debut album, Saxuality, was released later in 1990. With her funky alto sax stylings proving popular with fans of contemporary jazz at several recently launched smooth jazz radio stations in the United States, Saxuality was nominated for a Grammy and certified gold for worldwide sales in excess of half a million. "Lily Was Here" also crossed over to the pop charts in America, reaching #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though Dulfer has had no other pop hits in the U.S., she has had a number of major smooth jazz chart hits, including "For The Love Of You" and "Finsbury Park, Cafe 67".

Dulfer was also the featured saxophonist for Van Morrison's A Night in San Francisco, an album made from live recordings in 1993.

Dulfer collaborated with her father Hans Dulfer on the duet album Dulfer Dulfer (2001).

In 2007, she released her ninth studio album Candy Store. The album reached a #2 position in Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz charts. Of the album Candy Store, the song "L.A. Citylights" reached a #1 position in Smooth Jazz National Airplay charts in the United States.


Pick Up The Pieces - Candy Dulfer


I Cant Make You Love Me - Candy Dulfer

Discography:

Singles:
"Lily Was Here" (1989)
"Heavenly City" (1990)
"Saxuality" (1990)
"I Can't Make You Love Me" (1993)
"Pick Up The Pieces" (1993)
"Sax-A-Go-Go" (1993)
"Wake Me When It's Over" (1995)
"I'll Still Be Up Looking To You" (1996)
"For The Love Of You" (1997)
"Saxy Mood" (1997)
"Cookie" (1999)
"What's In Your Head" (2003)

Albums:
Saxuality (1990)
Sax-a-Go-Go (1993)
Big Girl (1995)
For the Love of You (1997)
The Best of Candy Dulfer (1998)
What Does It Take (1999)[12]
Girls Night Out (1999)
Live in Amsterdam (2001)
Dulfer Dulfer (2002)
Right in My Soul (2003)
Live at Montreux 2002 (2005)
Candy Store (2007)
Funked Up & Chilled Out (2009)

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